Overview

This heartfelt picture book biography illustrated by the Caldecott Honoree Ekua Holmes, tells the story of MaVynee Betsch, an African American opera singer turned environmentalist and the legacy she preserved.

MaVynee loved going to the beach. But in the days of Jim Crow, she couldn't just go to any beach--most of the beaches in Jacksonville were for whites only. Knowing something must be done, her grandfather bought a beach that African American families could enjoy without being reminded they were second class citizens; he called it American Beach. Artists like Zora Neale Hurston and Ray Charles vacationed on its sunny shores. It's here that MaVynee was first inspired to sing, propelling her to later become a widely acclaimed opera singer who routinely performed on an international stage. But her first love would always be American Beach.

After the Civil Rights Act desegregated public places, there was no longer a need for a place like American Beach and it slowly fell into disrepair. MaVynee remembered the importance of American Beach to her family and so many others, so determined to preserve this integral piece of American history, she began her second act as an activist and conservationist, ultimately saving the place that had always felt most like home.

ISBN-13

9781101996294

ISBN-10

1101996293

Weight

1.10 Pounds

Dimensions

10.90 x 0.39 x 9.76 In

List Price

$17.99

Edition

1st Edition

Format

Hardcover

Pages

40 pages

Publisher

G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Published On

2021-04-13



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Picture book. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 40 p. Contains: Illustrations. Intended for a juven...
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